Purdey's 1920s aids to illuminated hunting. Typical London proof date code: The Laboratory is ISO17025 & ISO 9001 accredited. The table below can be used to see if your gun was proofed in London or Birmingham. A number of other countries have also . English Shotguns the C.I.P. PROOF MARKS: BRITISH PROOF MARKS - ENGLAND, cont. There are several online sources for listing proof mark dates out of Birmingham. Parking forvisiting groupsare restricted tono more than threevehicles. If a certificate islost and a replacement required,the arm must be resubmitted for inspection beforefor a new certificate to be issued. Chart. Tourvehicles are tobe parked within theProof House front yard area, between the twosetsof gates. New Arrivals Custom Knives at bottom. code was adopted, in Ariel typeface, The visit costs 200including VAT for each group visit of upto 10 people. For those, due to heath issues,prevented fromvisiting the premises,it is possible to loan a 2-hour documentary CD which covers the majority of the tour. Time) Our inventory is constantly changing. Tampering with, or forging, a proof mark is regarded as even more serious. Proof is the compulsory and statutory testing of every new small arm before sale to ensure, so far as it is practicable, its safety in the hands of the user. By the end of January 1915 the tool room was up and running and the works made its first Mauser by August of the same year. At the end of 1915, 158 men and 74 women were employed (50% British). The Rules of Proof require all arms submitted to be in a fit condition. Home, Hallowell & Co., Inc. PO Box 1445. Illustrated Firearms Dictionary is for informational The Birmingham Proof House possesses a fine Georgian boardroom which can be hired, during working hours, to hold small conferences and events. In 1888 it was decided by a joint meeting of the Gunmakers' Company and the Birmingham Guardians that a new supplementary proof for smokeless powder should be instituted in 1893, 1896, and 1904; the rules were further adjusted to allow for new powders. It is a Webley & Scott 12-bore with steel barrels. If found to be satisfactory,the arms will be stamped or engraved with a deactivation or magazine restriction mark and issued with the appropriate certificate. How to Order The same applies to commercial ammunition. The building was designed by John Horton and consists of a centre bay, emphasised by a segmental parapet, which contains trophies by William Hollins. This exposes it to pressures far beyond what it would experience in normal service. The Birmingham Proof House does not accept responsibility for any damage to such items resulting from the proving process. The square was omitted after 1984. The table below can be used to see if your gun was proofed in London or Birmingham. Archives and Collections @ the Library of Birmingham, For most of the 18th century, muskets ordered from Birmingham contractors by the Ordnance Board were either proof tested to the Tower standard, within the grounds of the gun maker by an Ordnance Board inspector, or taken to London to be proved.1, In 1755, Board of Ordnance viewers were stationed at Birmingham to gauge and view barrels made by contractors for the Ordnance. Member States, complying with the 1969 Convention and C.I.P. Main Gates, Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House - geograph.org.uk - 1245898.jpg 640 480; 61 KB. There are penalties for non-compliance with proof laws; a fine of 5,000 may be levied for selling an unproofed or out-of proof firearm, more if a number of firearms are involved in a transaction. Makers - Darne, Merkel, Arrieta, Beretta, Browning, Holland, Purdey, Richards, Bernardelli, Parker, Fox, LC Smith, and most other double barreled shotgun, gun and double rifle makers. The 1950 marks will be because it might have had to go for re-proof prior to sale. This is particularly useful for home loaders, shooting press and possible incident reports. Hay, Jonathan, The Tower, W W Greener and Mauser Manufacture. Smoking is not permittedon site. Proof House marks approved by the Secretary of State under Section 8 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 for indicating that a firearm has been rendered . 4, It was subsequently extended to a large establishment.2 Between 12 November 1856 and July 1857 the Ordnance Board sought permission to store black powder and bullets at the Birmingham Proof House whilst they constructed a new Proof House in Bagot Street. The maximum penalty is 5,000 for each offence. The Hallowell & Co. For all the ghosts of Armourer Sergeants from across the old British Empire, I hope that Ive put that right, here and now. Laboratories who achieve ISO17025 accreditation havedemonstrated that they are technically competent in all aspects relating to the scope of the accreditation and are committed to quality. download pdf file. It carried out routine works, lapping barrels, re-blueing and general repairs.5 By the 1880s the premises were considered by Government to be a great deal too circumscribed for the work. A Jacobean-style gateway was added in 1883. Please click on any of the links below to see what we actually do have available The Proof House (originally The Guardians, Trustee, and Wardens of the Gun Barrel Proof House of the Town of Birmingham) was established in 1813 by an act of Parliament at the requestand expenseof the then prosperous Birmingham gun trade. Current Proof & Certification Lead Time: 7 days. Published by Vintage Guns Ltd on 1st May 2020. The British Proof Laboratoryalsocarriesout individual tests on samples of ammunition supplied, generally in the form of a 10 or 20 round test. Other Terms & Conditions Download. Here's the quote from the 2003 article in the Doublegun Journal, which doesn't give a reason for the gap: Thanks Larry, I have a BSA gun made for the RAF, they only made the gun from 1940 to 1945 and it has 1950's proof marks, so it kind of peeked my curiosity! As part of theProof House's wider brief for small arms saftey in general, organised tours began in 1997. [The Star, 5 January 1813. p.1] 1, The Bagot Street proving house was closed in 1818 as fewer guns were needed in a time of relative peace following the French and American wars.4, In 1839 George Lovell and James Gunner, The London Ordnance Storekeeper & Superintendent, went to Birmingham to set about re-opening the Ordnance proof house. vehicles. Many old guns may have been re-proved once or more, often in a different proof house from the original one. Visitors with mobility restrictions must bring this to the attention of the museum when booking, so that, if possible, special arrangements can be made. LIBRARY OF SMALL ARM & AMMUNITION RELATED SOURCE MATERIAL- including over 1000 original cartridge drawings. The Birmingham Proof House Museum and its Arms & Ammunition Pattern Rooms can trace their history back to 1858 when Mr Greener, a renowned and innovative Birmingham Gunmaker, held a meeting at the Birmingham Town Hall to establish a collection of firearms at the Proof House. Leonard, Colonel Pierre, La Manufacture darmes de ltat (M.A.E.). From there it moved to Sparkbrook when Bagot St closed. Various attempts were made throughout the early and mid 20th century to re-establish a collection of arms and ammunition at the Birmingham Proof House. Brimingham proof marks | The Firearms Forum Thanks for the help. This 12-bore is proofed under the Rules of Proof in force at the Birmingham Proof House from 1954-1989. American Shotguns Museum & Pattern Rooms | Birmingham Proof House Then used with "NP" mark for rifles proofed with nitro or semi-smokeless powders. The Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House is a weapons proving establishment in Banbury Street, Birmingham, UK. "DEDICATED TO THE WARDENS OF THE GUN BARREL PROOF HOUSE IN THE TOWN OF BIRMINGHAM ". Final black powder proof, Birmingham 1904-1925. Magazine Articles The Birmingham Proof House is a unique national treasure. The Birmingham Proof House, Banbury Street, Birmingham, B5 5RH . D at right. approved ammunition manufacturers, C.I.P. Visitors are required to complete a Visitor List Form listingattendeesand theiraddresses. Rifles We donot recommend the tour for children under the age of 12. Its well used and will continue to be used. After 1994, the last two digits of the Inspector's number Birmingham, England: date code letter placement: 1921 - 1941: Letter at top of intersection of crossed swords. EDK, therefore, refers to the year The building contains a museum of arms and ammunition, and can be visited by prior arrangement. Birmingham Proof House | Military Wiki | Fandom SEE ALSO. "On rifled barrels for military arms with a bore diameter not larger than .315. Birmingham Proof Marks - The DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com calibre technical drawings and pressure limits. I noticed they stop at 1942-43 and start up at 1950. Guns There are numerouspublic car parkssitedwithin10 minutes walking distance of the Proof House. The Birmingham Proof House recommends that small arms be submitted through aRegistered FirearmsDealer (RFD), primarilybecause RFD'sare fully aware of the requirements to submit to proof. Memorabilia; Downloads; Contact; Links. The proof process is that of testing a firearm for integrity using a severely overcharged cartridge, or proof load which is fired through the gun in an armoured testing chamber. The Birmingham Proof House . TheProof Acts apply to all small arms, whether of present use or future invention (with the exception of some military arms made for the use of H.M. Triple Locks, .455 No.2, British Service Revolvers .38-200, Victory (and pre-V) Models, Model 1917's Lend-Leased etc. For specifics on Copyright Law and "If the House won't come to the table, we might go 60% (compression) to 40% (homestead) or 50-50. [1] It is a grade II* listed building. The latteralso holdingISO 17025 accreditation, a very exacting form of accreditation for Laboratories. Thereafter it shows a decline to a low of 2.4% in 1863. However, in most cases,we are only able to report on the most likely causes of failure. Fourteen countries are C.I.P. Inspector's number underneath. It does not correspond with the proof marks on one of my shotguns, looks like the ones on it are London Proof House marks. Superb information that Id been looking for. Tourvehicles are tobe parked within theProof House front yard area, between the two, 10 minutes walking distance of the Proof House, Organised Tours of the Birmingham Proof House, Museum and Pattern Rooms, Tour Content, Restrictions, Parking and Cost. The Birmingham Proof House was established by Act of Parliament in 1813 to ensure small arm user safety, as far as it is practicable, by the compulsory and statutory proof of small arms. Between 1887 and 1894 the Government Small Arms Factory at the Tower was relocated to Sparkbrook, but not without sudden and serious reductions in output, employment and wages. RULES, REGULATIONS AND SCALES, - Birmingham Proof House Smith & Wesson Cartridges loaded or reloaded in small quantities for personal use only and not given,sold or supplied to a third party for later distribution or sale, arenot subject to C.I.P. These toursensure that the historical development and heritage of small arms and ammunition, particularly that relating to Birmingham, is properly preserved and accessible. Afterwards without slash, as: 1163 for November 1963. Roman numerals from 1945 until 1975, then a two-letter code surrounded by a small Where were guns proofed during 1944-1949? Posts: 2653. Guns Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 12:43 am. BRITISH PROOF MARKS GunBroker.com Member Forums controllers' mark. The origins of all British and Commonwealth Armourers as a discrete corps lay with the Corps of Armourer Sergeants formed in 1858 to regularise armourer training and certification. Approval can be granted to a specific Lot of ammunition manufactured from the same components e.g. I noticed they stop at 1942-43 and start up at 1950. Ifassistance is needed re;deactivation or magazine restriction certification or its processes, please contact our workshop via the website email contact form. Card payments are not accepted. 1998 - Ammunition Control includes: If further information is required in regards to the testing of ammunition, please contact the appropriate Proof House representative by our email contact form. The National Arms and Ammunition Company was set up by Westley Richards. Recommended Links Historical Chart: Syntax of Birmingham proof date codes. Gardone, Italy: Month and Year in Roman numerals until 1945. After 1925, used by both proof houses for marking all proofed military arms. Sans-serif From 1955, metric marks were optional (on this gun it would be 70mm for the chamber, instead of 2 3/4 and pressure would be shown as 1200kg instead of 3 1/4 TONS). Hellis guns were of high quality, a large proportion being made by the better of the Birmingham gunmakers and mostly finished by these firms and proofed at the Birmingham Proof House. Store Photos Rules of Proof 7 (Birmingham) - Vintage Guns Firearms & Ammunition Testing | Birmingham Proof House For corroboration, cross-reference with the dot and then typically a 4-digit number where the two digit number is the code Gardone, Italy: Month and Year in Roman numerals until 1945. Goodman, John D, The Birmingham Gun Trade, in Timmins, Samuel. 2. Forces, although in the modern era CIP proof is now often requested as part of H.M. Higher penalties where, for instance, the sale of a number of guns constitutes one offence,can apply. My Dad Leslie Bracey who lived in the back to backs of Little Shadwell Street in #Birminghams Gun Quarter, carried shotguns to the #Birmingham Proof House before the Second World War when he worked for a #Birmingham gun maker in the Gun Quarter. The tour guide providesa running commentary on each area and items of interest. Firearm Proof Marks, Arsenal & Inspector Marks BIRMINGHAM GUN BARREL PROOF HOUSE - Historic England Proof Date Codes | The Stalking Directory Livingston, Montana 59047 Each viewers mark has its distinctive stages of manufacture, or in service.2, In 1864 Bagot Street Ordnance premises were under the superintendence of Captain Warlow R.A.2, In the 1860s the projected closure of the Tower convinced Birminghams military gun trade that such a course would seriously affect thousands of hand-made gun-operatives in the town, scattering and driving into other trades thousands of skilled artisans. where the first letter is the month code, the second and third letters are the The building was designed by John Horton and consists of a centre bay, emphasised by a segmental parapet, which contains trophies by William Hollins. Member State. 1975 - 1984: Letter inside upper left of circle. available. Birmingham Proof Marks 1954-1989 examined. Address. C.I.P. Steindler. The BirminghamProof House has many experts and state of the art resources in this field. We do not necessarily offer the items described above for sale. The following 18 files are in this category, out of 18 total. It pays to be hard-headed when choosing guns to restore. 2405 PrOOF mark CirCa PrOOF hOuse tYPe OF PrOOF and gun since 1856 Birmingham provisional proof for barrels since 1637 London definitive black powder proof for shotguns,muzzle loader barrels 1811-1892 Liege black powder proof for rifles 1897-1923 Liege black powder proof for rifles USA Tel: 406 222-4770 Fax: 406 222-4792 number. The premises are Grade II* listed buildings, with narrow access areas and no lift. Such testing prior to sale or transfer of firearms is made mandatory by the Gun Barrel Proof Act 1868 (31 & 32 Vict. British Commonwealth S&W Revolver markings - Smith And Wesson Forums One piece steel barrels pre-date Longthorne by 150 years. Birmingham Proof House Date Codes From Nigel Brown, British Gunmakers, Vol 2, Quiller Press, 2005. Air guns are exempt from the Proof Act. The plant also produced the new model 1916 bayonet. In addition toproof and reproof of small arms, we areable to offer many additional services,including: Click here to find out more about the Proof House Services, Find out more about our fascinating collection, Download important documents via our webiste. Email: The action is different than the ones in the catalogs. This ensures that Member States mutually recogise each others proof marks. Also, an individual gunmaker's code appears in the following format: a 2-digit number followed by a Both processes involve the strict gauging of key dimensions includingthechamber, barrel andcartridge headspace dimensions. However, its missing a military and human story within it. Store Photos 1992. However, this was not achieved until the tenure of Proof Master, Mr Roger Hancox. There are no re proof marks, bo you think these guns went to the RAF without proof marks and then returned to be proofed and sold? European Shotguns The next mark is the cartridge the . Such pressure shoulddisclose weaknesses in the small arms:it is far bettertheweakness be found at a Proof House rather than duringuse,where serious personal injury may result. There are several online sources for listing proof mark dates out of Birmingham. When they were made, all British guns had to be subjected to proof testing (they still are) to ensure that they were fit for purpose. They all will.usually under the barrel on some. "BIRMINGHAM GUN BARREL PROOF HOUSE (1291262)", "Details from listed building database (1291262)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Birmingham_Proof_House&oldid=1143648284, Proving and certification of firearms and ammunition, quality testing, This page was last edited on 9 March 2023, at 01:29. #3 All proof marks on all weapons rifle (and pistol) as well as shot gun for these date codes, yes. morris@hallowellco.com. This 12-bore is proofed under the Rules of Proof in force at the Birmingham Proof House from 1925-1954. (XB). Rifles The Birmingham Proof House can, subject to an initial assessment,provide incident reports ondamaged small arms and/or on the ammunition in use at the time of the incident. C.I.P. Decisions. Over these ten years 16% of the barrels proved in England passed through the Tower. Note: The posting of Copyrighted material on this forum is prohibited without Dating your rifle - British barrel marking date codes A collection of markings of any type, acceptance, proof, property, post-war alteration you name it, found on S&W revolvers of the two world wars that were sold or loaned to Commonwealth countries. of dots beneath to indicate inspector. Liege, Belgium: A single letter, either Roman or Greek, upper or lower providedcomponents arefrom the same batch. The Proof House can provide copies of the Several Acts andRules of Prooffora small fee. These identifying marks have been in use since February 1, 1955. All Rights Reserved. calibre technical drawings and pressure limits. The stamps show: 'BV' with crown over, which is the 'View' mark. and Laboratory duties,the Proof House can offergauge analysis, enabling manufacturers to ascertain if a gauge or tool meets current industry standards. From Nigel Brown, British Gunmakers, Vol 2, Quiller Press, 2005. Until 1858, the year in which the Enfield factory began testing, the Towers percentage shows an increase from 23.2% in 1855 to 28.6%. We reserve the right to undertake security checks on potential visitors and refuse entry without explanation. for purchase. As there was a favourable opportunity of disposing of the Tower works, they were sold. on Britain, CIP Standard Mark CIP Superior Mark CIP Steel Mark Table of equivalent Birmingham Proof Symbols- (Including the above CIP marks introduced by Birmingham in 2014) *Please note the Birmingham Proof House will not give guidance on pre-1954 marks and recommends re-proof of such arms. Those that passed the test were then sent to London for proof. The 1978 Act enabling the United Kingdom to accede to the Permanent International Commission for the Proof of Small Arms (CIP). Several trade representatives had therefore sent a memorial to the Earl de Grey and Ripon at the War Office suggesting that the Tower might be used as a repairing establishment for furnishing the weapons to volunteers and local militia. Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10 - 6. Amongst proof marks are codes enabling one to determine the date of manufacture of many The Proof House does not offer in house catering facilities, but can providedetails of outside caterers. Also if the armis rejected or fails proof then a gunsmith/RFD isbest placed to eitherrepair thesmall arm,advise the customer that it isnot possible to repair or uneconomical to repair. We do not necessarily offer the items described above for sale. Other Rules of Proof of particular note were those of 1925, 1954. restrictions refer to: http://www.copyright.gov/laws/ - doublegunshop.com will not monitor nor will they be held liable for copyright violations presented on the BBS which is an open and un-moderated public forum. The tour includes the Museum Pattern Rooms:the firstdevoted to the history and evolution of small arms, with particular reference to former Birmingham manufacturers;the second relates to small arms ammunition and the ammunition trade. The Bagot Street proof house reopened in 1841. A friend has one and didn't realise what it was until I examined it for him. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The factory location chosen was The Tower, seemingly because it was standing empty and made available to Greeners by the War office.6. European Shotguns When in full operation, a staff of between sixty and seventy men were there engaged in viewing the arms manufactured in the town. Chart: Syntax of British proofmarks over time. The corporation was renamed to "The Guardians of the Birmingham Proof House" by the Gun Barrel Proof Act 1855. Chart: Syntax of Birmingham proof date codes London, England: LPover 2-digit year; beginning in 1973. Each small arm is then visually inspected and only then, ifsuitable, will be tested with proof ammunition. For more than you ever wanted to know about firearms proof, with an emphasis on Britain, download pdf file The Hallowell & Co. is an International Standards Organisation which lays down Rules and Regulations for the proof of weapons and their ammunition. The Rules of Proof are a schedule of the Proof Acts, along withCIP Decisionsthey makeupthe working instructions for the British Proof Authority.